[Experimental infection of horses with Trichina larvae].

This research article talks about an experimental study on horses, where the animals were intentionally infected with Trichina larvae to investigate Trichinellosis epidemic in the province of Reggio Emilia, 1975, which supposedly originated from horse meat.

Experimental Procedure

• The researchers of the study started off their experiment and investigation as a reaction to a Trichinellosis epidemic that took place in 1975 in the province of Reggio Emilia. This epidemic was believed to have stemmed from horse meat.
• For the purposes of their experiment, the researchers used the specific Trichina strain that was isolated from this same outbreak.
• Four horses were chosen as the subjects of the study. These horses were then infected orally with this strain of Trichina.

Results of the Experiment

• All four of the horses that the researchers had infected became infected. From the data they collected, they found that the muscles that were most heavily affected by the infection included the lingual, masticatory and neck muscles.
• As part of their research and study, the researchers then took meat from these four infected horses and fed it to laboratory animals, such as rats, mice and guinea pigs.
• They noticed that these laboratory animals also became infected after consumption of the meat, indicating that the Trichina larvae could be transmitted through consumption.

Further Infections

• Furthermore, the researchers also took meat from these infected horses and fed it to a variety of other domestic animals, including cats, dogs, and pigs.
• These domestic animals, too, became infected with the Trichina larvae, consequently providing the researchers with more data – that the infection can cross over to other species via consumption of infected meat.
• They attempted to replicate these results in sheep by feeding them the infected meat, and observed that the sheep also became infected successfully.

Conclusion

• This experiment and resultant data reveal that Trichina larvae can be successfully transmitted to other creatures through the consumption of infected horse meat.
• This could provide valuable insights and data towards understanding and combating Trichinellosis epidemics in the future.